638. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures in place to protect children in direct provision as well as those who might be vulnerable adults; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33903/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department and is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers under the government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Currently, 4,311 persons are residing in 34 asylum accommodation centres under contract to RIA.
RIA affords the highest priority to the safeguarding and protection of children. RIA is, and will always be, compliant with all legislative requirements in this area. RIA has a fully staffed child and family service unit, the head of which is seconded from the HSE and whose role is to manage, deliver, coordinate, monitor and plan all matters relating to child and family services for all residents in the direct provision system. The unit also acts as a conduit between RIA and the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the latter having statutory functions in this area.
A key feature of the Irish system of accommodating asylum seekers is that services are ‘mainstreamed’. Social Work supports for children and vulnerable adults in centres are thus provided through HSE/Tusla on the same basis as for children and vulnerable adults in the wider community. Centre staff are provided with training and with any guidance needed on a day-to-day basis by the Child & Family Services Unit in RIA.
In addition to the standard accommodation services and supports provided through Direct Provision accommodation centres, both RIA and other State service providers, particularly the HSE and Tusla, link in with those centres to provide on-site services and monitoring of children and families through Public Health Nurse and GP services, social work teams, mental health specialists and through the positive engagement of accommodation centre management teams.
Although parents who live in direct provision centres have the primary responsibility for the care and welfare of their children who reside with them. RIA operates a Child Protection Policy based on Tusla's Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. In each family centre there is a Designated Liaison Person appointed to deal with Child Protection and Welfare concerns. A notice is displayed in all family centres which give the name(s) and contact number(s) of the Designated Contact Person(s) for the centre. All DLPs must have undertaken Children First training, and in almost all centres the Centre Manager is also a DLP. In larger centres there is more than one DLP. RIA also encourages the DLPs to source Children First Training for staff who may, in the course of their work, come in direct contact with children i.e. housekeepers, chefs, kitchen staff: all of which is dependent on the availability of training from the Child and Family Agency, Tusla. A more user-friendly version of this policy has been agreed with Tusla and will be published shortly and appropriate training arranged.
RIA advise that there is no evidence that child protection referrals to Tusla for children in Direct Provision are over the national average or that there is a disproportionate number of cases under the Child Care Act, 1991 involving such children relative to the population generally.
In relation to vulnerable adults, RIA will always act on advice from social workers and medical personnel. In this context it is important to note that RIA's Child Protection and Welfare Policy compliments other policies and procedures in place designed to protect residents and monitor contractors.;
- the House Rules which set out the rights and obligations on residents and management and each could engage in a complaints mechanism in the event that the other failed in their obligations. The Rules' aim is to ensure that problems are resolved quickly and ‘on the spot’ rather than having to resort to written complaints. Residents, however, can put their complaints in writing and, if unresolved, can be referred upwards to RIA. In certain cases, a first instance complaint can be made directly to RIA.
- Garda vetting policy. All accommodation centre staff are Garda Vetted.
- RIA has ‘one to one’ clinics where residents can make complaints without management being present.
- RIA has a Code of Practice for persons working in centres.
- RIA has an inspections process. Although the purpose is primarily to determine whether contractual obligations are being met, inspectors also have direct engagement with the residents in the rooms being visited.
- RIA's Sexual harassment and Domestic Violence policy which has been agreed in conjunction with NGOs such as AkidWa and Ruhama and the UNHCR.
